The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-15
VARIETY HORROR.
A Variety Theater In the Unfortu-
nate Town of Hurley, Wis,
Takes Fire.
Terrible Loss Of Life-Seventeen Of
the Performers and Employees
Perish.
About $4,000 Damags-Collapss Of .
Trestle Work-Wreck Of q Steamer
Etc,

on the stage Of the Alcazar Theater at eight
o'clock Saturday night and within an hour
the entire business part of the town was in
flames, while eleven persons had persisted
in the theater- The charrcd remains OF
nine people have been taken from the ruins.
The loss is fully s5OO,OO0 The Alcazar
was variety theater, chiefly frequented
by miners, and was one Of the resorts Of
unsavory repute associated with the nOto-
rious dance houses of the mining regions.
Only small audience had gathered
when the fire broke out and they
scrambled out in hurry. Several
of the actors, however, rushed
up stairs after their wardrobes, and when
they sought to escape found that they were
hemmed in on all sides, the flames having
spread through the wooden building with
incredible rapidity. How they struggled
to flee will never be known, as none Of
them, except Sadie Wells and Mabel Pow
ers, were ever seen again. The former ap-
peared at a second story window and called
piteOusly upon the crowd outside to save
her. Before hand could be raised the
flames reached her and commu n heated to
her clothing. She made frantic effort to
jump through the window, then with .
piercing shrek fell into the furnace below.
Mabel Powers had reached third story win
dow; she jumped and was SO badly injured
that her recovery is doubtful Among
those who persisted in the theatcr were:
Frank Young, Sadie McCabe, - jackson,
all three being colored comedians; Title
Moore, q song and dance artist; Mabel
Goodrich and husband, Sadie Wells, Mrs.
FentOn; two or three others whose names
are not known. The Alcazar was in the
heart of the city. 1t was mass of flames
in very short time The fire seemed to leap
from building TO building until several
blocks became roaring oven. 1t was not
long before every business building be-
tween Third and Fifth avenues was in
flames. All efforts to get the fire under
control seemed futile. The fire department,
reinforced by scores Of volunteers, sent its
puny streams against the advancing wall
OF flame, but had to retreat IS the fire
swept resistlessly on. 1t did not stop until
material for it to feed upon was lacking.
SEVENTEEN DEAD.
CHICAGO, July ia special from Iron
wood, Mich, across the river from Hurley,
Wis, says that seventeen people lost their
lives in the Alcazar. The following addi-
tional names of the dead are given: J. w.
Van Quick, Samuel Haley, Lawrie Brain
ard. 1t is probable that JOhn Jarrett, the
stage carpenter, will die from his injuries.
Jennie Sheridan, an actress, who leaped
from the third story, is also severely hurt.
She says that she tried to persuade several
others to jump, but they delayed and the
floor fell in, taking them with it.
TREsTLE WORK COLLAPsEs.
CHICAGO, July ia trestle work being
in course of construction on the Illinois
Central road, near the suburban town Of
Lowland, collapsed last evening, kill
ing Joseph Fox, of Oswego, N. Y,
and Charles Clark, of Chicago, Fox's son,
was mortally wounded, Albert
Bayers and another son of Mr.. Fox re-
ceived serious but not necessarily
fatal injuries. Joseph Fox, who had charge
of the work, was an experienced bridge
builder. The structure had just been
passed upon favorably by the railway COM
pany's chief engineer. Less than fifteen
work remained to be done, when
all at once the heavy beams trembled and
fell of their own weight, burying all hands
between masses of the trestle work.
STEAMER ASHORE.
BosTON, July II. "A Boston Journal
special from Halifax, Nova Scotia, says:
'.The steamer Merrimack from Halifax for
Boston is ashore on Little Hope island,
some miles off Liverpool, Nova Scotia. The
passengers, 100 in number, were all got
ashore safely and will be taken to the MAIN
land in a sailing craft. The vessel will be
Q total loss"
CAPSIZED AND DROWNED.
PHILADELPHIA, July 1l.-Robert Hartley
and Mrs. Seivle were drowned in the Della
ware to-day. A party of ten were out in q
small boat, which capsized. The others ]
were rescued.